Shyama Shastri

Introduction

Actual Name : Venkata Subrahmanya
From : 26th April, 1762 To : 6th Feb, 1827
Father : Visvanatha Iyer
Mother : Vengalakshmi
Place of birth : Thiruvarur in Tanjavur Dist of Tamilnadu

Shyama Shastri was the oldest of the Trinity of Carnatic music. He was a contemporary of the other two, Tyagaraja and Muthuswamy Dikshitar, and was a personal friend of the former

Early years and background

He was born in Tiruvarur (of Tanjavur district in Tamil Nadu) on April 26 1762, into the scholarly and priestly Tamil Brahmin family of Viswanatha Iyer; a family not particularly interested in music. Though Shyama Shastri attained scholarship in Telugu and Sanskrit at a young age, he got no further than the elementary stages in music education, in spite of his melodious voice. When he was eighteen years old, his family moved to Tanjore.

Around then, his family got a chance to host a sanyasi (monk), sangitaswami, a master of dance and music, who was spending some four months in Tanjore. The sanyasi was quick to discover Shyama Shastri's keen intellect, melodious voice and musical talent and foresaw greatness in him. He obtained the father's consent to tutor the son in music and taught Shyama Shastri all aspects of raga, tala and swara prasthara-s. The teacher found that the student could absorb even the intricate details very quickly.. all in a matter of four months or less. Sangitaswami presented Shyama Shastri with a few rare treatises on music and certified that the student had gained full knowledge on the theoretical aspects of music. He advised his student to seek the friendship of and listen to the music (but not learn anything from) one Adiyappayya, a composer of the famous bhairavi ata tala varnam, viriboni, and a court musician in Tanjore. shyama Shastri duly did as he was advised.

Shyama Shastri – Prime years

Over the years, Shyama Shastri became a well-known and respected musician, scholar and a composer. He was quite admired and respected by Tyagaraja and it appears that the two of them often held scholarly and lengthy discussions on their latest compositions. Shyama Shastri, like his father was the archaka (priest) in the Bangaru Kamakshi Temple in Tanjore. Always worshipping Kamakshi at the temple and at home, Syama Sastri had little occasion to go out of Tanjavur, but from his pieces, it is seen that he went to the neighboring Tiruvayyaru and sang of Dharmasamvardhini; to Jambukesvaram and sang of Akilandeswari, and also to the more distant Madurai where he sang nine pieces on Meenakshi.

While all his pieces are on Devi, chiefly Kamakshi, and also some of her other forms including Brihannayaki at the Big Temple at Tanjavur, there are also, among the published and the unpublished kritis, a few on Subramanya. We may not find among his compositions several types as in those of the other two masters, but besides Kritis, he composed also Tana Varnam and Swarajatis. The Bhairavi, Todi and Yadukalakambhoji Swarajatis of Syama Sastri could be counted as the composer’s specialities by the side of the Pancharatnas of Tyagaraja and Ragamalikas of Dikshita

Compositions

* brOva samayamidhE dhEvI

* dhayajUda mamchi samayamidhE

* dhurusugA kRupajUchi

* Emani migula varNimthu

* ennEramum un pAdhakamalaDhyAnam

* janani nathajanaparipAlini

* kanakashaila vihArini

* karuNAniDhi ilalO

* mAyammA yani nE palichithE

* mInalOchanA brOvayOchanA

* nannu brOvarAdhA

* nannu brOvu lalithA vEgamE

* ninne namminAnu sadhA

* pArvathI ninnu nE

* puraharajAyE pAlaya mAm

* shamkari shamkuru chamdhramukhi

* shrIpathimukha virachitha

* tharuNamidhammA ennai

* thrilOkamAthA nannubrOvu

Descendants

Shyama Shastri had two sons, Panju Shastri and Subbaraya Shastri. The former became a priest and the latter was a versatile musician (and a disciple of Thyagaraja). Through Panju Shastri, the family tree grew and produced quite a few scholars. Shyama Shastri's great grandson was alive till the age of 94 and passed away only in 1950. Hence, many incidents of Shyama Shastri's life are known. He was reportedly a tall and a rather stout person with a fondness for betel leaves! Shyama Shastri, like Thyagaraja and Dikshitar, was well-versed in astrology.

Like his great contemporaries, he too correctly predicted the time of his passing. He passed away on February 6, 1827, six days after, his devoted wife passed away.

P.S. Prj done by Brunda Ramesh
Ref: Internet

Saint Sri Thyagaraja (1767 -1847 AD)

Saint Sri Thyagaraja (1767 -1847 AD) was one of the most important composers of Carnatic music. He is regarded as one of the "trinity" of Carnatic music composers, along with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. He was a devotee of Rama. Sri Thyagaraja, the most celebrated Carnatic Music saint was a great devotee of Lord Sri Rama.

A son was born to Kakarla Ramabrahmam and his wife Seethamma under the Pushya nakshatram [star], that is on May 4, 1767, and they named him Thyagaraja. Thyagaraja's father Rama Brahmam taught him to worship Rama daily. Even as a boy, Thyagaraja composed his first song on Rama, Namo Namo Raghavaya when he was only 13 years old. Sri Thyagaraja continued to recite the Rama Nama every day and had many darsans of Sri Rama, which inspired him to write songs on his beloved Lord, Sri Rama.At 18 years of age, Thyagaraja married Parvati, who died when she was only 23. He then married Kamalamba (sister of Parvati). They had a daughter named Sitamahalakshmi, through whom he had a grandson. Seetalakshmi's only child, also named Thyagaraja, died progeniless at a very young age; with that, the line of direct descent from Thyagaraja came to an end.

Thyagaraja had an elder brother, Japyesa, whose descendents still abide in the same area of Tamil Nadu. Japyesa is often made the villain in stories about Thyagaraja, in the role of the brother who could not understand Thyagaraja's devotion to Sri Rama.

Being a great devotee of Lord Rama, the only things that mattered to Thyagarajawere Music and Bhakti. Much later in life, his guru, Sonti Venkataramanayya, wanted to listen to Thyagaraja's new talent and invited him to perform at his house in Thanjavur. On that occasion, Thyagaraja presented Endaro Mahaanubhavulu,the fifth of the Pancharatna Krithis. Intensely pleased with Thyagaraja's song, Sonti Venkataramanayya told the king about the genius. The king sent an invitation, accompanied as was traditional with many rich gifts, to Thyagaraja, inviting him to grace the royal court. To the unworldly Thyagaraja, the prospect of wealth or fame was no incentive; he clearly had no inclination for a career life at court, which doubtless in that age. He rejected the kings invitation outright, composing another gem of a kriti, Nidhi Chala Sukhama on this occasion.

Angered at his rejection of the royal offer, Thyagaraja's brother took revenge by throwing his idols of Rama Pattabhisheka in the nearby River Cauvery. Thyagaraja, unable to bear the separation with his Lord, made a pilgrimage to all the major temples in South India and composed many more songs in praise of the deities of those temple. Once a sage named Haridas asked him to recite the name of Rama 960 million times. After doing so, Thyagaraja went to offer his prayer when he heard a knock on his door. Raama, Seeta, and Hanumaan were entering his prayer room and he was blessed to see the coronation of Raama. Moved with wonder and devotion, he sang "Baalakanagamaya". Mr. Shyama Rao, one time thasildar of Thiruvayaru, records that after Swami sang this kriti, an Omkara Naadha was heard and a jytoi was seen to emanate from the head of Swami and travelled upward. Swami then slumpted on the thambura he was holding, and become one with the Lord.

In 1847 Thyagaraja became a hermit, and the next day, on January 6, he died in the presence of his disciples at the age of 80. He is said to have finally found the idols with the help of Rama himself. Thyagaraja attained Moksha on a Vaikunta Ekadasi.During his lifespan Sri Thyagaraja has composed more than 800 songs in his long devoted life to Lord Rama, most of them written in his Mother tongue Telegu, but a few in Sanskrit.

Some Famous Compositions of Sri Thyagaraja Swami are
A daya shri - Ahiri
Adamodi galade - Charukeshi
Adavaramella Gudi - Yadukula Kamboji
Ananda Sagara - Garudadhvani
AnandamAnandamAyenu - Bhairavi
Aragimpave - Todi
AbhishhTa Varada - Hamsadwani
AbhimAnamennadu galgura - Vivardhani, Kunjari
AbhimAnamu Iedimi - Andhali
Adi kadu Bhajana - Yadukula Kamboji
Adigi sukhamu - MadyamAvati
Adugu varamula - Arabi
Alakalalla - MadyamAvati
Allakallola - Sowrashtram
Amba Ninnu Nammiti - Arabi

P.S. Prj done by Archita Sai

Ref.: Internet